It is known that compounds possessing a carbon-hydrogen bond can be oxidized with molecular oxygen to products containing a hydroperoxide group where the original carbon-hydrogen bond was located. The resulting hydroperoxide is useful in the conversion of sulfur containing hydrocarbons to sulfur oxidized compounds which may then be more easily removed from a hydrocarbon stream containing sulfur compounds. Depending upon the particular starting compound, hydroperoxides can be produced with rather high selectivity under suitable oxidation conditions. At the same time, it is recognized that in order to achieve a reasonable degree of selectivity to the desired hydroperoxide, relatively mild conditions need to be utilized because under more severe conditions oxidation of the starting compound can proceed in a non-selective manner and can oxidize the starting compound to such products as carbon dioxide and water under extreme conditions. Under the relatively mild conditions needed for the selective oxidation of the starting compounds to hydroperoxides, a penalty is then exacted from the process in terms of the relatively slow reaction rate for the oxidation reaction. Hence, it is desirable to provide a relatively selective oxidation reaction for the production of hydroperoxides while at the same time attaining a faster rate of oxidation under the relatively mild conditions utilized.